Two key questions loom over 2014: How will Dems fend off attacks over the health law that will only intensify, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars? And how much damage will be done by the early ad blitz hitting Dems right now, bankrolled by Americans for Prosperity, the group backed by the Koch brothers?

This new Obamacare ad begins to answer those questions. The Dem-aligned Patriot Majority USA is airing it in North Carolina on behalf of Senator Kay Hagan – one of the top targets of the AFP — and it hits her opponent, North Carolina Rep. Thom Tillis, over the consequences of repeal:

So much for that idea. Late yesterday, the House did, in fact, raise the debt limit through March 2015. After several weeks in which Republican lawmakers said they would block an increase unless Democrats paid some kind of ransom, the GOP-led chamber threw in the towel, allowed the increase to pass with mainly Democratic support, and quickly left town for two weeks.

There’s no shortage of interesting angles to this entirely predictable fiasco….

President Obama will unveil a new project Thursday designed to help young African-American and Hispanic men find jobs and get a good start in life.

The “My Brother’s Keeper” program involves partnerships with foundations and businesses to help “make sure that every young man of color who is willing to work hard and lift himself up has an opportunity to get ahead and reach his full potential,” the White House says.

Michael Sam’s announcement that he is gay is a watershed moment. He won’t be the first gay player in professional football, for sure, but he’ll be the first one to declare so openly. And the best part? The reaction has been mostly positive, even in places you might expect to be full of negativity.

Among the first to announce their support publicly were officials at the NFL league offices and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith, who just happens to be the reigning Super Bowl MVP. “There is no room for bigotry in American sports,” Smith tweeted. “It takes courage to change the culture.”

Yes, some players groused and a bunch of anonymous NFL insiders gave Sports Illustrated quotes warning that Sam would struggle and disrupt locker-room chemistry. But the anonymity of those comments were quite a tell — once upon a time, not so long ago, an NFL scout or general manager wouldn’t think twice about suggesting a gay player had no place in professional sports.

Washington Post: Michelle Obama lifts up U.S. designers, elegantly around her shoulders

First lady Michelle Obama eschewed Chanel, bypassed Dior and said no to the allure of Balenciaga. Instead, as she stood alongside her tuxedo-clad husband to greet French President François Hollande, she celebrated American style at Tuesday night’s state dinner in honor of fashion’s heartland.

She selected a ballgown by the New York-based designer Carolina Herrera. The bodice of the dress, which was sewn by hand in Herrera’s New York atelier, was crafted of black lace — beaded, embroidered and appliqued. It formed a delicate scrim over a corset in a pale, dusty blue that the designer described as “liberty blue.” The elegant skirt, with its inverted pleats, flowed into a modest train.

President Obama looks out the window of the Oval Office, Feb. 12, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama goes over papers while on the phone in the Oval Office, Feb. 12, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama laughs during a meeting with, from left, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Mona Sutphen, White House Counsel Bob Bauer, and Director of the Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle in the Oval Office, Feb. 12, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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President Obama works on his State of the Union address with staff in the Oval Office, Feb. 12, 2013. Seated, from left, are: Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications; Director of Speechwriting Jon Favreau; and Cody Keenan, Deputy Director of Speechwriting (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama watches as First Lady Michelle Obama playfully greets him on the Colonnade of the White House, Feb. 12, 2013. Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to the First Lady, and Personal Aide Kristin Jones, left, accompany Mrs. Obama (Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama is greeted before giving his State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill on February 12, 2013

That Louis Armstrong, considered one of the most influential artists in jazz history, as a young child fired his stepfather’s gun in the air during a New Year’s Eve celebration and was arrested on the spot. He was then sent to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. There, he received musical instruction on the cornet and fell in love with music.

He defined what it was to play Jazz. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominates Jazz to this day.

New Orleans’s airport was renamed Louis Armstrong International Airport in his honor and the house where he lived for 28 years in Queens, NY was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977 and is now a museum, The Louis Armstrong House Museum.

He shares a birthday of August 4th with our 44th President, President Barack Obama.

Happy Wednesday to you!
Thank you for the Black History education format. I learn something new everyday.

I saw the new pictures of your grand babies last week or week before last, they are soooooo precious and beautiful….
I already know that you have and will continue to spoil them : ) They are so blessed to have their grand parents.

Whew! Have spent all morning getting caught up on yesterday. SO sick I couldn’t live it in real time with TOD. Also, hate that I missed sharing all my french learning… Le plume de la t’ante est sur la table. done. THANK YOU Chips and Nerdy!! I hope you know how priceless this site is (only until I win the lottery could I ever hope to match its value).

So Sister Palin as KO used to call her, when asked about Christie said: You Know what your Close aides are doing…….speaking as a half termed Gov in Alaska? Hmm? And Bill Maher calls her an idiot? Not on this Bill Maher ;)

Speaking of Sister Sarah: CBS News did a segment on her last night. A reporter was in her home. ….celebrating her birthday. UGH! She had moose chili–with bear in it and couple of other things. Then someone brought in a birthday cake with candles. It was just all lovey dovey sickening. OMG! Just think about all the other really important things that CBS could have devoted that time to educating and informing the citizens. But, NO! They had to do that.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states, striking down part of the state ban.

In 23-page a ruling issued Wednesday, U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II concluded that Kentucky’s laws treat gay and lesbians differently in a “way that demeans them.” The constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was approved by voters in 2004. The out-of-state clause was part of it.

It all started just before 9 p.m. Friday with a call to Southern Station from Salvation Army workers who were handing out hot chocolate to homeless people near Civic Center just as the storm hitting the Bay Area was in full swing.

“They said they had just served a father and his five children who appeared to have nowhere to go,” said Lt. Teresa Gracie.
Cummins and three other officers who were patrolling the area in their squad cars responded, and at the corner of Seventh and Market streets found the father and five children, ranging in age from 12 years to 8 months, huddled in the downpour.

“Here were these five kids, all dressed well but just down on their luck with all their bags and two strollers,” Cummins said.
The family – from Florida, by way of the East Bay town of Pittsburg – had been staying in a family shelter, but missed the 8 p.m. door closing.
And they had chosen to stay together and tough out the storm.

“The eldest daughter, who was 12, seemed to be taking care of the other kids and the dad was just kind of lost,” Cummins said.
Now it was late, and the rain was showing no sign of letting up. After a couple of calls, it was clear that no city or charity service was going to be able to help. But there was a hotel nearby. Not the Ritz, but warm and dry and willing to take the whole family.

With that, Cummins and fellow Officers Valerie Durkin, Brian Carew and Brendan Caraway pooled their dinner money, bundled up the family and got a $65 room at the Budget Inn on Market Street. Then they went across the street to the CVS and bought wet wipes and formula for the baby.

Wendell Oliver Scott (August 29, 1921 – December 23, 1990) was an American stock car racing driver from Danville, Virginia. He is the only black driver to win a race in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. According to a 2008 biography of Scott, he broke the color barrier in Southern stock car racing on May 23, 1952, at the Danville Fairgrounds Speedway. The book, “Hard Driving: The American Odyssey of NASCAR’s First Black Driver,” by Brian Donovan (Steerforth Press), says that after gaining experience and winning some local races at various Virginia tracks, Scott became the first African-American to obtain a NASCAR racing license, apparently in 1953, although NASCAR does not have the exact date. The book says that Scott’s career was repeatedly affected by racial prejudice and problems with top-level NASCAR officials. However, his determined struggle as an underdog won him thousands of white fans and many friends and admirers among his fellow racers.

Senate leaders have reached an agreement aimed at wrapping up passage of the House-passed “clean” debt limit increase on Wednesday, according to Democratic and Republican leadership sources.

They have scheduled two back-to-back votes starting at 1:45 p.m. First there’ll be a “cloture” motion to advance the bill, at a 60-vote threshold, and then final passage, requiring 51 votes.

“We are confident that we’ll be well over 60 votes,” said a Democratic leadership aide. “Once cloture is invoked, time will be yielded.”

That means lawmakers like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who strongly oppose the debt limit hike, won’t use up debate time to slow down final passage. A Cruz aide told TPM only that he’ll insist on a 60-vote threshold.

After those two votes, the Senate will vote to approve the House-passed bill to reverse recently enacted cuts to military retirement benefits.

The 21 lists should be mailed to Justice Clarence Thomas and then asked if those lists were too sensitive or just about right…….The fool mouths his mouth before his so called friends and Does NOTHING to solve any problems facing this nation……Never did, never will.

The Kansas state House advanced a bill on Tuesday aimed at granting public and private employees the right to deny services, including unemployment benefits and foster care, to same-sex couples on the basis of religious freedom.

Largely backed by Republican state lawmakers in response to recent rulings in favor of marriage equality in neighboring states, House Bill 2453 passed an initial vote by a 72-42 margin. A final House vote is set for Wednesday, after which the bill will head to the Republican-controlled Senate.

State Rep. Charles Macheers (R), one of the bill’s staunchest advocates, argued that the provision was designed to prevent discrimination against religious individuals during a speech on the House floor Tuesday.

“Discrimination is horrible. It’s hurtful … It has no place in civilized society, and that’s precisely why we’re moving this bill,” Macheers said. “There have been times throughout history where people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs because they were unpopular. This bill provides a shield of protection for that.”

While government agencies would still be mandated to render services to Kansans, individual clerks would be empowered to refuse assistance to individuals that violated their religious beliefs on marriage.